Dar es Salaam — Efforts to combat human trafficking in the country is gathering momentum after judicial officials including judges and magistrates yesterday held a workshop to share experiences and knowledge particularly on prosecuting related cases.

The three day workshop was convened by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Secretariat in the Home Affairs ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held in the city.

TIP committee chairman Adatus Magere told participants that the secretariat in collaboration with other stakeholders have done a lot of work to fight against the scourge in the country.

The training highlights, among others, on law enforcement agencies, awareness creation to the general public, preparing National Action Plans and facilitating prosecution of perpetrators, revealed MrMagere. "I believe this workshop will strengthen the cooperation and commitment between the secretariat and the Judiciary in the fight against trafficking in persons in our country," he said.

According to the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) Report 2012, leading regions in human trafficking in Tanzania are Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro, Singida and Dodoma. While, Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar cities are the main destinations of internally trafficked in persons.

In addition, girls and boys aged 10-17 years are trafficked from rural to urban areas to be exploited as bar tenders, domestic workers, agricultural plantations workers, street beggars, fishermen and peasant miners.

For her part, Justice Beatrice Mutungi who officiated the opening of the workshop on behalf of Tanzania's Chief Justice, said the role of judiciary is vital in the fight against the crime, commending the relevant anti-trafficking secretariat and stakeholders for their continued commendable commitment to fight against trafficking in persons in the country.

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